Electrolytic diaphragm



-uvomel'y -1 L ROBERTS BLEGTRGLYTIG DIAPHRGM.

Patented July 1U, 1894.

iNv'ENToR W 6M WITN ESSES:

.4 gelatinization,

n L UNITED STATES `PATl-nxm? OFFICE.

IsAIAH L. ROBERTS, or BROOKLYN, New YORK.

l ELECTRO LYTIC DIAPH RAGIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,614, date'd July 10, 1894.

Applicationnalebmtry10,1893. seria1N0.461.f/45. (Nospecimens.)

To al@ whom it may concern:

e 1t known that I, IsAIAH L. ROBERTS, a

citlzen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn,.1n the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the saine.`

ro In a number of patents granted to me I have shown and described electrolytic dia-` phragms 0f substantially non-porous character composed of various substances in an amorphous condition, or practically so. The' materlals which I have heretoforeemployed` for the production of thesediaphragms were gelatlnous compounds, ornon-c'onducting substances 1n a very finely divided condition, and

in some instances I have combinedA two or j zo more substances,vas for instance by employing with a gelatinous diaphragm a lamentous material such as wool, cotton, or asbestus,

as a bindingy agent or bysaturating porousearthenware with a suitable ysubstance and then gelatlnlzing it in the pores of the earthenware. vI have found it desirable in many cases to employ forthe diaphragms certain non-conductin g and insoluble pulverized substancessueh as, and preferably, anthracite I '3o coal reduced to an impalpable powder, but

as such substances have no sensible cohesiveness their `use necessitates the employment of special means of support without which the renewal of any part of the apparatus when once 35 built up involves the destruction of the-en tire diaphragm. p

The object of my present invention is to provide a self-supporting and permanent diaphragm of such materials, and this I aecom- 540 plish by employing in the construction of the diaphragm a non-conducting substance preferably in so line' a state of mechanical subdivision as to constitute a substantially amorphous body and a liquid which is capable of ing agent when gelatinized. l l A .The drawing hereto annexed is a ksectional view of a form of apparatus heretofore used by me and described in numerous patents 5e and is given in illustration of the manner of carrying out the present inventione A is an iron tank containing a solution of the latter serving as the bind-1 `a salt Bsurroundingan insulated wire basket C and a canvas bag C which lines the inside of the basket. The wire basket is supported lloyan iron band or hoop C2.

v D is the diaphragm the composition and method of construction of which will be here.; 'inafter described.

E are grains of coke surrounding the carlbon rods F F, and the perforated earthenware cylinder N.

.Y N2 is a mass of the crystals ofthe salt to be electrolyzed. l

A tubefor filling the tank is shown at J. Atube for the escape of the hydrogen from the cathode which is the tank in this instance is shown at Af, The tube H is for the escape l of the chlorine or other gases from the anode compartment.

M3 shows a lid for sealing up the salt tube which permits of'a tar luting O.

L shows a glass or glazed earthenware ring .or cylinder lled with large broken pieces of coke P. f

j I is an earthenware or slate plaque cover- `ing the ring` and having openings for the carbons and perforated cylinder to pass through.

K is a'seal of wax or asphaltum which seals up the anodeycliamber air or gas tight.

T is an overflow tube which allows the wa- `ter in thesalt tube and anode chamber to escape when lled with a fresh supply of salt. i In makingthe diaphragm D, I proceed as follows: vI first grind anthracite coal, or other pulverizable material which is a non-conductor of electricity and which will not be dissolved nor chemically attacked by the products of decomposition, by preference reducing the same to such a tine state of subdivisbody. I also prepare a solution of silicate of soda or potash of a strength of about or Baume, and about two or-three per cent. of caustic soda or potash. `The latter is emacid by the sulphur, or any metallic'salts which may be present,k as impurities in the powdered coal or other material, and which would tend to impair the homogeneity of the stiff paste of the coal dust and said solution, and having done this I place a quantity of it in the bottom of the canvas lined suspended diaphragm and weaken'it. I then make a ion as to constitute a practically amorphous ployed to prevent the coagulation of the silicic IOD basket (Lsaid mass to be of the thickness desired for the partition D. I now construct the anode chamber which consists of the feed tube M and carbon rods F F and granulated carbon E separately; and set it in the basket on the mass or bed of paste in the bottom thereof. To construct said anode chamber I make a cloth bag R of sufficient strength to support the weight of the anode and feed tube N. I suspend it by the wooden hoop S and put in the bottom of it some granulated coke, retorted charcoal, or retorted anthracite coal, say two or three inches. I then set in the perforated feed tube or tile N which in tall tanks may be made of several tiles set p end on end. I then set some carbon conductors F F around the said tile as close as convenient and lash them to it and hold the whole steady while the bag R is filled to the top around them with granulated conducting carbony E. Having filled the bag and pressed the carbon down the carbons F F and tube N will then be held firmly. The bag is then lifted into the basket C by the ring S which 1 serves no other purpose than to support and steady it until the whole apparatus is finished which is then done by ramming or packing in the annular space D-between the lining of the basket and the anode bag R, the above described paste D, until it is full tothe point where the annular glazed ring Lis shown; the said ring is then set in and the space between Ait and the anode bag R is filled. After this I place some larger sized pieces of coke P on top of the whole, filling up the annular ring and covering up the said ringwith a cover I. I then seal up the whole with alphaltum K. All these steps are more fully described in other patents granted to me. I now ll the tank with water or brine as desired through the tube J and also fill the feed tube N with the salt crystals to be electrolyzed. I then pour enough of a preferably saturated solution of brine on the salt which will run through the perforatious N and [ill up the interstices in the granulated conducting carbonE. I now connect the carbons F F to a source of electricity and complete the circuit through the partition and tank in such 5o a manner that the'acid radicals will be liberated on the anodeand the bases will be liberated at the tank or cathode A. O n pouring the brine into the anode chamber 1t comes in contact with the inner surface of thel anthracite partition and gelatinizes the silica which it contains and in time coagulates farther in and makes the wall permanent, as silica or anthracite is not soluble in acids. JAs canvas is not injured bythe bases it makes the outer or cathode side permanent. The silicates may dissolve outof the surface of the cathode side but as the anthracite is not soluble the partitions remain impervious and firm.

When the current of electricity has freed some acid radicals in the anode chamber they {will begin todestroy bagA R and 1n ay short .timewill complete its destruction and there would now be nothing left to -prevent thesubstance of the partition from comminglmg with that of the anode if the silica were not present. But the firmness of silicio acid prevents the anthracite particles from inovlng.

Having now described my invention, what `I claim as new, anddesireto secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A diaphragm for electrolytic cells com l posed of an insoluble non-conducting and n oncoherent powder, and a` gelatinizablebinding material, as set forth.

2. A diaphragm for electrolytic cells conrposedof an insolublenon-conductingpulverized substance and a-gelatinizable silicate, as

. set forth.

.i 3. An electrolytic diaphragmcomposed of g'powderedf anthracite coal andra gelatimzable silicate, as set forth;

l 4. The methodV or process hereindescribed i, of prod ucing an electrolytic diaphragmwhich consists in forming a paste of an` insoluble 4nou-conducting pulverized` substance and a solution of silicateof soda or potash, forming said paste into the desired shape providingv `temporary supports for thesame and gelatlnlizing the solution by electrolytic action, asset .forth.

ISAIAII L. ROBERTS.

1 Witnesses: ANTHONY GEEF, l T. LITTLEJOHN. 

